The Grade 11 student at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate learned how to give an injection as part of a clinical skills in medicine workshop held during the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame Discovery Days in Health Sciences on Nov. 9.

“It was really cool,” Hanson said. “It’s something I didn’t think I’d get to learn about in Grade 11.”

Hanson was one of almost 300 high school students and teachers from 73 schools across Winnipeg and the surrounding area who attended the annual event. Another 45 students, who live more than 350 km outside of Winnipeg, were able to attend thanks to travel bursaries.

UM has co-hosted Discovery Days with the London, Ont.-based Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for the past 22 years.

“Discovery Days in Health Sciences provides high school students with a fantastic opportunity to learn from our experts about the numerous career paths in the health sciences and the cutting-edge research happening at the University of Manitoba,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, UM vice-provost (health sciences), and dean of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. “We hope students leave with an enthusiasm for the health sciences and an eagerness to become the next generation of health-care professionals and scientists.” 

More than 20 faculty-led workshops offered the high school students a chance to explore different fields in the health sciences, which included dental hygiene, nursing and medical microbiology.

Yun Nam, a Grade 12 student at J.H. Bruns Collegiate, practices giving a dental filling.

At the dentistry workshop, Yun Nam learned the steps to give a dental filling. The Grade 12 student at J.H. Bruns Collegiate is thinking about going to dental school because of the manual dexterity needed to be a dentist. 

“I heard it’s really hands-on,” Nam said. “I like using my hands. I have knitting stuff in my bag right now.”

Aaliyah Fernandez, a Grade 12 student at Westpark School in Portage la Prairie, took part in the College of Rehabilitation Sciences’ workshop because she’s interested in physical therapy.

“My teacher talked about how Discovery Days is a great day where people could explore different occupations, so I decided to go,” Fernandez said.

The day began in the Brodie Centre atrium with opening remarks by Deborah Ash, finance officer at the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, and Dr. Sari Hannila, associate professor of human anatomy and cell science at the Max Rady College of Medicine, and deputy director of the Interdisciplinary Health Program at the Rady Faculty.

Dr. Noralou Roos, professor emerita of community health sciences and a Canadian Medical Hall of Fame laureate, presented a talk titled A Message to My Teenage Self. Her advice to the students was to pursue their education, and look for -and build on- opportunities.

An example of an opportunity Roos took was when she ran for student body president at her high school in the late 1950s and won.

“I’ve always been convinced that is why I ended up being offered a fellowship at Stanford University and was admitted there at a time when it was very competitive for women,” Roos told the high school students.

Dr. Sheila Peters gives the keynote lecture.

Dr. Sheila Peters, a member of the UM medicine Class of 1993, gave the keynote lecture. Peters, who is Métis, worked in the Health Sciences Centre’s emergency department for 25 years. She now practices family medicine at Access Centre Downtown and is a primary care advisor at Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin.

Peters shared her inspiring journey and provided the students with words of encouragement.

“Who are you? Who here doesn’t have a hot clue who they are?” Peters asked the audience. “Me. I’m 56 and I’m still figuring it out. It takes time – it’s a constant journey. It’s continually changing with every celebration and every stress and every change in your life. And don’t be afraid to not know who you are but make one step forward slowly and slowly.”

After the students attended two workshops, the day ended with a career panel discussion and Q&A session.

For artist Peter Tittenberger, the answer is a creepy-crawly thing, something slimy, and it has tentacles and spines. It’s a quiet kind of creature, the sort of sea animal you don’t even know is there until it’s too late… You wade into the cool ocean waves and suddenly there’s something there in the water and what is that? Is there something touching your leg? Get it off! GET IT OFF!!!

If you feel a little unsettled now, that’s your thalamus talking. Amongst other things, it’s responsible for regulating emotion—including the fear that something might be waiting for you under the water.

Tittenberger is one of nine visual artists paired with a neuroscientist to explore the mysteries of the human mind—including fear—that culminated in a visual art exhibition called “Neurocraft.”

On now in the John Buhler Research Centre atrium, Neurocraft is the brain-child (sorry!) of Dr. Sari Hannila, Assistant Professor, Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Max Rady College of Medicine and Director of Outreach for the Manitoba Neuroscience Network. It’s her job to help bridge the gap between the public and the lab.

“I think that it can be a little intimidating when people hear scientists talk about their work,” said Hannila, a Rady Faculty of Health Sciences researcher focused on spinal cord injuries and effective treatment for neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. “They may feel that they’re going to ask a stupid question, that they’re going to look foolish in front of people they perceive to be very intelligent, very accomplished, very educated. And we don’t want that—we want science to be accessible. We want people to be comfortable asking us these questions.”

By using visual art to explore complex ideas, Hannila says a whole new avenue opens up for conversation, giving a common starting point that feels comfortable whether you’re a medical specialist or a layperson. “I felt that craft especially would be a good way to connect with people because it deals with everyday materials and everyday objects, but in the most beautiful forms,” said Hannila, who credits a partnership with the Manitoba Craft Council for helping bring the concept to life.

In addition to Tittenberger’s otherworldly mixed-medium sculptures, the exhibition also includes fibre art, prints and video. “Art connects with people on an emotional level,” said Hannila. “So, that was the genesis of the idea.”

Once she had groups of willing participants from both the science community and the art world, she paired them up by interests and set them loose. “I never said to any of the artists or the scientists, this is the message that we want to convey, we want you to do this,” recalls Hannila. “It was, ‘you two go and talk, get to know each other, tell each other about what you do. And then see what comes out of it.’”

In the case of Dr. Mike Jackson and Lesley Nakonechny, the starting point was Alzheimer’s disease. Nakonechny used family portraits to create an initial print, starting with images of two men. As you view the second image of each man, you see that the picture is starting to decay—an effect created when the artist deliberately damaged the plate. By the third and final print, the man you see is fractured, still recognizable but indistinct. It’s the perfect metaphor for the fading we associate with Alzheimer’s disease, but if you take a moment to read the artist’s statement, you’ll realize there’s something even more powerful going on. The man on the left is Nakonechny’s grandfather. The one on the right is Jackson’s dad.

“I wasn’t expecting it to go to that level,” said Hannila, talking about the personal connection that the partnership created. When she paired the two, she knew only that Nakonechny had a family member with the disease. Jackson was involved in the project because of his role in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, where he’s an Assistant Professor, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Max Rady College of Medicine.

The fact that Jackson’s family was personally affected added a surprise element for Hannila, one which brought a whole new meaning to the collaboration. “I think there was a lot of truth and authenticity in the pieces that came out of it. And I think that’s why they’re so powerful.”

Hannila is hoping that exhibits like Neurocraft will offer the public a glimpse into the kind of work that’s going on in the quiet offices and busy labs at the University of Manitoba and Health Sciences Centre where research takes place. But she says making that connection back to patients and their families can serve as an important reminder to the medical profession about why they got started in the first place.

“It’s very easy to start following a path and get drawn into all the fascinating questions that come out of it,” she said. “Every once in a while we need to be pulled back and reminded, ‘Okay, that was interesting, but remember, there are people who need our help here. We can never forget the reason why we’re doing this.’”

Neurocraft ran March 3 – 21, 2017 in the John Buhler Research Centre Atrium, 715 McDermot Avenue at the University of Manitoba Bannatyne Campus. The exhibit is now closed.

This is the first time that the local chapter has held a series of events to mark BAW, a global movement aimed to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research. The Dana Foundation led initiative celebrates 20 years with a weeklong campaign that runs from March 16-22.

Each year partner organizations host creative and innovative activities in their communities to educate kids and adults about the brain. In 2014 there were more than 860 events held in 55 countries.

Dr. Sari Hannila, director of outreach for the WCSN, says diseases of the brain are becoming increasingly common, particularly with an ageing population.

“These are diseases that affect people of all ages and backgrounds,” explains the Assistant Professor of Human Anatomy and Cell Science (College of Medicine). “We want to give students and the general public the opportunity to learn more about these conditions and the brain in general, and tell them about the innovative research that is being done here at the University of Manitoba and across Canada.”

Event lineup:

PUBLIC LECTURES

“Neurogenetics and neurodegeneration”
Monday, March 16
6:30 p.m. – Bannatyne Campus, 727 McDermot Avenue

Click  for event info

Presented by Matthew Farrer, MD
Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neurogenetics and Translational Neuroscience;
Professor, Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia

Keeping Your Head in the Game: How Concussions Affect the Brain

Café Scientifique
Wednesday, March 18
7:00 p.m. – McNally Robinson Booksellers, 1120 Grant Avenue, Winnipeg

Click for event info

In addition to the public lectures, the WCSN has planned an inaugural “Brain Bee” challenge. The full day event will be held at the U of M’s Bannatyne Campus on Saturday, March 21; high school students from across the city are invited to participate in a morning competition followed by hands-on activities in the afternoon.

One winner will be selected to move on to the 2015 Canadian National Brain Bee (supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research).